The crime of "insulting" someone through words or behaviour is to be dropped, in a move welcomed as a victory for free speech by campaigners.

An award-winning ballet dancer and a French opera director are among the debut authors tipped for success in 2013 by book chain Waterstones.

The UN Security Council backs France's intervention against Islamists in Mali, as thousands of African troops are expected to join the operation.

Far from being cut off from the rest of the world, Australia experienced a migration from India about 4,000 years ago, a study suggests.

Fizzy-drink giant Coca-Cola launches a new advert highlighting its efforts to fight obesity, addressing the issue for the first time on TV.

US banking regulators order JP Morgan Chase to implement stricter risk controls, after it lost billions in bets made by a trader known as the London Whale.

Motorists are being warned to expect icy conditions in many parts of the UK, with further snow in some areas bringing the threat of disruption.

Carmaker Jaguar Land Rover says it is to create 800 new jobs at its plant in Solihull as it announces record sales for 2012.